Tuesday, November 30, 2021

She is working overtime.

The temp got above freezing yesterday so some of the snow melted but, was replaced by another 4 inches overnight.   Had to get our my camera again today, as it was even more beautiful than yesterday.




 Errands took up most of today, so a very short post.

See you tomorrow

Monday, November 29, 2021

Mother Nature did a wonderful job.

She worked hard all night long and left everything snowy white, virgin  and not a footprint in sight.   I have mentioned previously, I hate Winter, but I must admit outside my window this morning it was beautiful.  About four or five inches covered everything. 


The above two pics are from my living rooom window.


 The above two pics are from my front porch.

The temp did rise to 4*C and there was some sunshine, so some of it did melt.  By the end of the week I am sure it will all be gone.   Ready for the next storm.   If each dumping for snow melts before the next one comes it so so bad, but some Winters the snow has been so deep at the end of the driveway, you cannot see any cars or pedestrians coming towards you.  It is also difficult to pile on the side of the driveway when you have to lift it up and over the bank.  

Apart from looking at the snow, I did some housework, cleaned out my fridge, and did this and that.  Also spent some time sewing.

Dinner tonight was salmon, carrots, stuffed mushrooms and a very small baked potato.  

Sunday, November 28, 2021

Winter Wonderland

 Winter Wonderland this morning consists of three inches of snow which fell last evening and during the night.  Thankful there is no wind to blow it all around, it does look like a picture you see of snow coating branches of trees and on the hanging boughs of the pine and fir trees.  Ok! enough romancing of the pretty sight.

Did not post yesterday, why?  I was in another miserable mood,  nothing in particular just so tired of not being able, that is not true, I am able, just very hesitant about going out and doing all the things that we used to do.   Restaurants and the movie theatres are open.....but............  

This Christmas I NEED to see my family, however, we have two different families to accommodate so trying to decide what is a good solution that will please everyone is a bit difficult.   I have been thinking and have come up with two solutions, so will have to decide what to do.   Also need to contact my grandson and a granddaughter to enquire about  GG Children's sizes, needs/wants, so I can start my shopping for them.   They are the only presents I buy, my children and grandchildren have everything they need, and honestly, the things they may want are way out of my price range or I have no idea what a "portal for the earpods with fur lining and stereo sound thingy that connects to the web IOS, API and the OOP" is .   lol

Laundry was done, then prepped the veg for dinner and made a vanilla mousse for dessert.   Then did some sewing and did some things on the computer.     Housework was all caught up, so did not feel guilty about doing not much of anything yesterday.

Today is a slow day, we are going to have leftovers from our dinner last night.   My Mother would be preparing our typical Sunday dinner,  a roast of beef with roasted potatoes, yorkshire puddings, brussel sprouts, carrots and lots of gravy. An apple pie with custard for dessert.  That meal would be prepared for a midday lunch, for tea we could possibly have dripping on bread or maybe winkles, we ate them dipped in vinegar with salt and pepper with a slice of bread and butter.  

Sorry Mum, leftovers today.   

I will be going into my sewing studio to get some things done in there, I have three projects that I am working on at the present and I want to make some bowl cosies for some gifts, so should get myself moving.

Have a great day. 

Friday, November 26, 2021

Dam! The forecast was right.

 Not very often the weather person on TV gets the forecast right, but last night he was right.  So what did he say...."Snow, blowing snow if our area gets  under one of of the streamers coming off Lake Huron, accumulations could be 5 cm - 10 cm"   " For the rest of the upcoming week. more of the same."   "Temps will hover around the zero and below mark, however the wind will make it feel even colder".   Thank you very much Mr. Weather Man.   I know he is only reporting what the models show, I don't like it just the same.  

I mentioned a "streamer".  A streamer is wind blowing from West to East over a large body of water, Lake Huron in our case.   Because the lake is still open water, the wind picks up moisture and due to the cold temp it becomes snow.  Which is then blown by said wind.   Because the winds come in gusty bands across the lake some areas get more snow than others and some no snow at all.   We are usually in the area that gets more snow than others.   How lucky can we be?   The long range forecast for the Winter is, we will have warmer temps and usual, warmer I say?  instead of - 32*C it might me -20*C. I am being facetious.  Due to the warmer temps the lake will not completely freeze over, so the winds will pick up a lot of moisture which will result in higher than normal amounts of snow.   It's a toss up, if it's  really cold, little snow, if warmer lots of snow.  Not sure what I would like, well yes I do, skip Winter and go right into Spring.    Hope this extended forecast is completely wrong.

When we got up this morning the ground was white with snow, and as I write this at 10:30 a.m. the snow is falling and being blown around.   Today is an inside day for me, no reason to go out.

We had a great meeting last night, even though we had to wear our masks, but that was OK.   We discussed a lot of issues facing our group and was able to get them all solved and everyone was happy.  Next year we are still going to make quilts for the chemo patients at a local hospital, which has been our focus for a number of years.   Unfortunately, the need is always there.

We are expecting a repairman to come today to fix the garage door, no time frame for his arrival, just sometime during Friday.   Hubby is at a loss as to what to start doing, as, as soon as he starts he would need to stop.   I am so glad he got himself a computer a couple of years ago it has been a Godsend as he can do a lot of research for some many things he is interested in.      

I am going to get some housework done this morning and after lunch going to hunker down in the sewing room for a couple of hours.  

Dinner tonight, we have two portions of the meat loaf I made yesterday, so all I need is a couple of veg.  I made two small individual apple crumbles last night and they are both gone, they were so good, even if I do say so.  So I will need to think about dessert, maybe only a piece of fruit would be sufficient. 

Have a great day everyone.


Thursday, November 25, 2021

Bitchy Mood

Yesterday I didn't post anything, because I am sure you did not want to listen to be moan and groan about everything and nothing that would correct itself eventually.   Yep! I was a right  miserable person.  I guess everyone is entitled to those days, I don't get them very often, thank goodness as I hate the feelings I have when I am like that. To take my mind of things yesterday, I cleaned and cleaned and was able to get the entire downstairs cleaned, something that needed to be done for a long time.   A good sleep and a stern talking to myself  made me feel better this morning.  

 Yesterday, I spent a lot of money.   For the past seven years I have been wearing hearing aids and the ones I currently have are past their best before date, so to speak.  If my hearing loss increases or changes in any way they cannot be adjusted, and the company that made them do not support any repair on them as they are out of date.  The trial pair I  have been wearing for the past two weeks was returned to the audiologist.  We discussed the pros and cons and eventually I bought two new aids made by the company of the trial pair.   I do get a considerable financial assistance from the Government Health Care and also from my private health care, it's still pricey but less than the full amount quoted.   They are going to be a birthday gift to me and I am worth every penny.  lol.

Hubby picked up leaves yesterday, the last of them he hopes, and we took two loads to the recycle depot.  The pile of leaves and garden waste was the highest and biggest we have ever seen at the depot.  Obviously, they hadn't taken many truck loads away to the compost area yet.   

Today we have rain, temp around 7*C but, it does not appear to be a very warm upcoming week according to the newspaper this morning.  Some snow every day is forecast.

Newspaper!!!   one section this morning has 12 pages, eight of those pages are full page ads for "Black Friday" sales.   One also thinks the paper is not worth buying these days when there is so little news in them.  I suspect, NO!,  I know, as we get closer to the Christmas season there will be more and more ads.  As it is we do not get a paper on Sunday or Monday, Saturday usually has a few more sections, which I suppose makes it worthwhile.

The quilting guild I belong to is going to have another "in person" meeting tonight, everyone is double vaxed and we do keep our distance, so I have no worries about going.    Last meeting, two of the members resigned, due to the fact one did not like driving at night and the other did not feel comfortable attending the meetings under the current status of the pandemic.  The number of people vaccinated is very high percentage in the area and now children are able to get the shot, so I feel OK going to the meetings.

Dinner tonight, meat loaf, cauliflower, salad and need to think of something for dessert.  Maybe a baked apple sounds like a good idea,

To all of my readers in the U.S. have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day, to others from other countries have a great day no matter what your plans are. 

Tuesday, November 23, 2021

Crunchy Carpet.

 For some reason, not sure what, could be me I suppose but, my post from yesterday did not get posted so did it today.

Brrr, it is a cold one this morning, the frost overnight was a real killer, so when the sun was shining on the leaves which are still on the trees, they started to fall fast and furious.   The leaves of the Copper Beech at the front of the house are very crisp and there are so many on the ground now, we were walking on a crunchy carpet of brown when we went out.    As well as the leaves falling this a.m. there was very small snowballs, much like hail only white, of course.    We still have lovely sunshine but, it is quite cold, will need to bundle up when I go for my walk today.  The wind yesterday was bitter, so had on my Winter coat with the hood up, a wool hat underneath that and gloves.   Toasty warm after getting my blood moving.

We were up fairly early and got our groceries this morning before the student crowd arrived.   The prices of fresh veg. have gone up considerably, 'tis the season as there are very few fresh veg during the Winter here.  

At my great grandchildren's school they were selling, onions, white potatoes, yams, and apples to raise money for equipment.  There would have been too much for the two of us, so my DD1 and I split  the veg and apples, which is still more than we would use during a week, so most of them are now in the cold cellar until we need them.

 Hubby was able to purchase the part needed for the garage door opener, and is now putting it all together, keeping my fingers crossed that it will now work, as he has spend a lot of time trying to get it fixed.

I worked on the challenge for our quilting group yesterday afternoon, for some reason I just could not get myself motivated to do much of anything.   Better today, so should get myself off this computer and get moving.

Tuesday, chicken night, asparagus, salad and I made a low sugar dessert last night and there are two serving left so that is dinner taken care of.

Have a great day, keep warm and dry if you are in the Winter time of the year and cool  and hydrated if you are heading into your Summer.  


Lovely surprise

 Yesterday,  DD1 gave me a surprise for my birthday.   It was not what I had thought it was but a lovely enjoyable afternoon.

She drove me to an arty/crafty village south of where we live and we arrived at the tea room.  She had invited my sister B, my niece T,  granddaughter N to join us for high tas in the afternoon.   DD1 B, had made us all a fascinator, nothing like being the centre of attraction with everyone wishing me a happy birthday,  All in good fun, of course.   A huge array of finger sandwiches, mini quiche and mini wraps,  and a three tier  cake stand full of delightful little cakes, scones with clotted cream and jam, mini tarts, meringues and pots of hot tea.   The tea room was full of tea pots hundreds of them on shelves and in cupboards, I should have taken some photos  but  there was so much going on I forgot all about it.  After, we went to browse through the little shops, which were full of little things that were nice to look at but not what a person, certainly not me would buy.   There was a shop which sold fragrant candles and I did get one called Cranberry for the holiday season.    My youngest daughter, was working so she could not come with us, however, she did send me a lovely vase of flowers.  It was a lovely surprise and thoroughly enjoyed the day, even though it rained cats and dogs all day long.

Back down to earth today and doing the regular daily chores.  It is cold and blustery today, with a few snowflakes in the air.     A true sign that the Winter season is nearly upon us. 

Not much else going on today, except getting all bundled up for that walk I indicated I would be taking.



Granddaughter N, sister B, niece T, daughter B and myself in the grey sweater.

Have a great day.



Saturday, November 20, 2021

Bitter Wind

 Needed to do a couple of errands today, had to make sure I was dressed for the bitter cold wind.  It makes the air feel so much colder than what the thermometer is showing.   My car didn't warm up very quickly, so it was a cool ride to the drug store and back.

The mall I went to is all decorated for the Christmas season and Santa and an elf were there meeting children.   As I passed, one little girl wanted a hug from Santa and her Mother had to remind her "no hugs" this year.  The look on that child's face showed a lot of disappointment.  Even the Santa had a sad look in his eyes.  Such a sad sight.   Hopefully, next year she will still believe and she will receive a hug from Santa then.  We can only hope.

In the cold weather, one of our garage doors will not go up and down as it should, so Hubby has been adjusting the necessary screws/buttons? on the motor section.  This one door has always given us a problem, hopefully it is now working OK.

Tomorrow I go to DD1 for the surprise for my birthday, I have been  trying to guess what it might be, came up with a couple of ideas, so I will have to see if one of those guesses was right.  Usually, I do not like surprises, so hope I am not disappointed or shocked.

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs for dinner tonight, veg, salad and made jelly with fruit for dessert.

I jumped on the scales this morning and did not like the numbers, the scale must be broken,  LOL  so being a bit more aware of my food intake and going to make a promise to you my friends to walk every day, no matter the wind, snow, rain whatever Mother Nature throws my way.   Usually, I do less physical activities at  this time of the year, so need to do something to get me moving.

Have a great day.

Friday, November 19, 2021

Bare branches

 As I look out my windows this morning there are a lot of bare branches, are the leaves finally down?  They are in the back garden and reveal a hornets nest hanging on one of the branches over the house next door.   These nests are made by the hornets after they have chewed wood to make a plup..  During the Summer we had a lot of hornets settle on an old wooden pole, and upon close inspection you could see them taking the soft outer grey layer of the wood off and exposing fresh clean brown wood.  If we could get up to see the inside of this nest it would reveal layers of a thin paper mache and further inside would show the combs similar to those found in bee hives.  Nature is so fascinating to watch, and when thinking about all the work that went into this nest those hornets worked for hours and hours to build it.    I tried to take a photo of it, but it didn't turn out well enough to show.

We have a mixture of nice bright sunshine and dark grey clouds, Mother Nature can't make up her mind today to give us either one for the whole day.   The dark ones are likely full of snow, so they can just blow right on by.  It is quite cold out there also.   

Not much happening today, only the regular routine things that need to be done.  

Dinner tonight fish, veg and salad, will make a jelly with fruit for dessert. 

Thursday, November 18, 2021

I tried

 Weather yesterday was beautiful, temp up to 16*C no sun to speak of but that was OK.   There was a shower late evening and today it is cooler and is going to get even colder with more rain snow mix in the coming days.

Hubby is out picking up leaves again!  I tried to use the leaf blower on the garden under the trees but, they are just too thick  and a bit damp from the rain last night.  I tried.   We have decided to leave them and let them decompose over the Winter, once snow falls on them they won't be going anywhere but where they have fallen.  Fine by me.  I tried, but my shoulders and neck get so sore it is not worth trying to do something that will aggravate my osteo in my upper spine.   I get upset when I cannot do the things I enjoy doing outside in the garden. The heavy work of raking and picking up these heavy wet leaves, causes me to suffer for several days, so unfortunately that will be no more.   Will have to be content with lighter chores and restricting the time I spend doing those chores.   Over the past couple of years I have been planting the flower gardens with perennials,  to make it easier but still keep up the gardening, even though it is just my flower beds. 

I still correspond with a school friend I had in England, (67 years) she sent an e-mail a couple of days ago and in it she was talking about her husband who has been waiting for months for a hip replacement.   On the weekend he dislocated his hip.  An ambulance will called at 9:00 p.m.  another call at 3:00 a.m. and yet another call which resulted in the ambulance arriving at 8:00 a. m.   He was taken to one hospital and they were not able to help him, then to another hospital where they successfully treated him.   My friend indicated there are too many people in the area where she lives, more homes are being built to accommodate them, not enough hospitals to take care of all these people, and not enough staff in the hospitals they currently have, thus the long delay for help.

Had to leave, I am back.  Been sewing for a couple of hours, Hubby has been outside picking up leaves again,  he is hoping it will end soon.   Maybe later, as we could have some snow during the next couple days.

Pork chops, applesauce, broccoli, stuffed mushrooms and salad. 


Wednesday, November 17, 2021

Busy Day and a Waiting Game

 No time to sit down yesterday, it was a busy day.

My appointment for my Winter tires to be put on was at 10:00 a, m.  it is a 20 minute drive for me to get to the garage, as the traffic is so unpredictable I leave in plenty of time, so at 9:30 a.m. I walked out the door.  I sat in the garage waiting room, read the paper, did the Sudoku and the crossword puzzles, watch the news on TV, and sat some more.  Not leaving until 12:30.   Grant you, I also had an oil change too but, all they had to do is take my Summer wheels off and put on the Winter ones, not take the tires of the wheels and put the others on.   Not being a mechanic, I don't know time frames for these jobs but, I do know there is a time set aside for each job, whether it takes that allotted time or not. So maybe it would have cost me more it that was not the case.   Can't complain I suppose as these jobs need to be done by someone who knows what they are doing and I am not one of those.  Anyway that is all taken care of until Spring when the procedure is reversed.

Then groceries, we have decided never to go to the grocery stores on a Tuesday afternoon.  Most of the grocery stores in the area where we live cater to the university students and give them a discount on Tuesdays, so it is always a busy day.  So another waiting period to check out.

On to the drug store to pick up Rx's,  I had reordered two last week, so was expecting both of them to be ready as promised, however, only one had been filled.   The second one needed a renewal from my Dr., which the drug store does for its customers, by faxing the request and if it a Rx which has been used for a long period of time the Dr. gives his OK.   Waiting again as the staff tried to find the reason why it was not ready.   Finally, they indicated no reply had been received from the Dr.   Calling the Dr. office, when I got home,  I was put on "hold"  while they looked for the fax.   The Dr. office did not receive one.   Eventually, being advised a renewal will be sent back to the drug store and I will now need to wait a couple of days for it to be prepared.

It is a good thing I am a patient person.

Thanks for listening to my rant.

Today, cloudy with drizzle becoming rain this afternoon, so no leaf picking up today and if the forecast is correct, not for a few more days either as rain is in the forecast up until the weekend.   Hopefully, all the leaves will be down by then, so it will be the last of them to be gathered and taken to the recycle depot.

 Must think about dinner, I suppose, not sure what it will be tonight.

Have a great day.
















Monday, November 15, 2021

A taste of Winter

 We had light snow for most of the day yesterday, ending up with 1/2 inch on the ground.  The sun is trying to shine this morning, but once in awhile a dark cloud passes and a few more flakes fall.   The leaves are falling too, you would never know Hubby picked them all up on Saturday.  

My youngest daughter and her family sent me a lovely vase of flowers, my son and DIL called and we talked for a long time.  My eldest daughter has surprise "something" for next weekend.

Our dinner which we were going to have last night did not turn out as planned.  Originally, we were going to have dinner on Monday, but the restaurant was closed, so decided we would go Sunday, yep it was closed Sunday too.   We did not feel like travelling around the city looking for a decent place to eat, as it was such a nasty night,  so we went to a drive through and bought chicken dinners and took them home.   We may go out for a lunch sometime this week.   Family and friends have left Happy B-day greetings on my FB.

We do not give each other gifts, we are no need or want for anything, and if we do we go and buy it.   When we first met, I gave Hubby a b-day card which said everything I wanted to say to him and on my b-day he did the same.  We keep them on our bedside tables, and each year we use the same card and add the year, a greeting and meaningful words.  

Tomorrow I get my Winter tires put on my car, just in time by the looks of it as old Man Winter should did arrive early this year.  I am hoping he re-thinks his arrival and comes back later, a lot later.

Have a great day.


Sunday, November 14, 2021

Those little white things

 Hubby did not empty the trailer yesterday, so when the depot opened this morning we decided to do that job before we got the precipitation which was forecast.   The depot opened at 11:00 a.m., but we were ready to leave at 10:30 a.m. then those little white things started to fall from the sky.   SNOW,  it was a wet snow, I guess it was more like ice pellets mixed in with some rain.  However, by the time we were unloaded it was snowing quite hard.   The only consolation at this point in time is the ground is still quite warm, not frozen solid yet, so it won't accumulate.  There are still a lot of leaves on the trees, so hope they do not get laden down with wet snow as it becomes very heavy for the branches to hold and they break. By mid week it will all melt as temps are forecast to go up. 

While we were out a florist left a message, indicating they had a delivery for me.  Flowers, who is sending me flowers for my B-day?   It could be a number of people, just have to wait and see.

Hubby is taking me out to dinner tonight, it is the same restaurant we went to several years ago, when he gave me a diamond ring.  He wanted to go there again tomorrow, however, it is closed on Mondays, so today will be my birthday dinner.   It will be the first time we have both been into a restaurant for a couple of years.

 Will be in the sewing studio this afternoon, cannot do anything outside today.

Have a great day.

Saturday, November 13, 2021

Music

Last Thursday while in my car I had the radio on a local station that guarantees no song will be played  twice between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., which is great for people listening while they work, either in an office or as background music in a store.   On that day the announcer/disk jockey indicated  on the following day Friday, November 12th the  station would be starting to play CHRISTMAS music during the work day hours.   It's the middle of November, for goodness sake,  Christmas music!!!   Don't get me wrong I like Christmas music, all kinds of Christmas music, but in my opinion, now is much too early to start playing it.   Maybe, it could be because our city is having a Santa Claus parade tonight.    Do you think November 12th is too early to start playing Christmas music? 

Laundry done, dryer working great after being repaired last week.   Did get to clean the kitchen and then made two small lasagna one for dinner tonight and another for the freeze to use later.

Hubby filled the trailer full of  leaves yesterday and we went to the depot to get rid of them.  Just as we were pulling into the facility, the clouds burst open with a cold mixture of rain and snow which was being blown around with gusting winds.   Needless to say we were happy to get back in the SUV with the heated seats on, after we left the depot.   All the clothes were put in the dryer when we got home.

He is outside at the moment picking up more leaves next door where he has been contracted to pick them up.  The forecast for the coming days indicate rain and or snow, so he wants to get it done today.  There are still a lot more to fall, so it is going to be an ongoing chore for a few more days.

Have a great weekend.


Friday, November 12, 2021

Jab

It's that time again for our yearly flu shot, so this morning we went to the drug store and received the seniors dose.  The regular does is not as strong as the 65 years and older shot, it has been designed to protect the older population who might have mild health issues.  There is another formula for seniors who have compromised health issues.

Yesterday was an absolutely gorgeous day, temp up to 18*C with lovely sunshine which made picking up those leaves an enjoyable task as we were not loaded down with clothing to keep us warm.  Upon waking this morning and looking out the window you would think we did not pick up any leaves yesterday.  The lawns are not green, covered with leaves again.  Today, is cooler, as we had rain overnight which brought in some cooler and unstable weather.

Today is my eldest grandchild's birthday, child??? she is 34 years old,  My goodness how did she get to be that age.   That sure makes me feel ancient.   Our family has three birthdays between Nov 12 and 16, granddaughter, me and SIL then another on the 26th a DIL.   

Cleaned two bathrooms top to bottom yesterday, a Autumn cleaning I suppose you could call it.   I plan on doing a room each day, doing a through cleaning.  During the Summer I just skimmed over the rooms, it was too nice to stay in and do housework.  Who was coming to look at my dust anyway, no one.  

Dinner tonight fish, veg and a salad.  I know Hubby would love a big plate of chips to go with it but that is a no no.  Don't even buy potatoes so we are not tempted to make chips.

Have a great day.

 

Thursday, November 11, 2021

Falling fast and Furious Today

During the past week we have had a couple of frosts, lovely sunny days and some rain, this mixture of weather I believe has prompted the leaves to start falling, and falling they are. The brisk wind we have today is also helping them to come down.   The back lawn was not green this morning, it was yellow and brown from the layer of leaves that had fallen.   Hubby was out there quite early starting the pick them up and this afternoon we took a trailer load and seven garden waste bags to the recycle depot.   The pile of leaves and garden waste at the depot was huge..  It is all loaded into large tractor trailers and taken to a facility where it is composted and sold.   I understand that companies need to make money, they pay staff to man the depot and truck the stuff away, however, I believe it would be nice if any homeowner who deposits waste and wanted compost in return should be able to get some in the Spring.   Just an idea.

I have been wearing the second trial hearing aid for 24 hours now and I really like it, so when I go back in a couple of weeks this will be the one I will purchase and watch the bank balance get lower.  I don't mind really, I look as it as being my birthday gift to me.

It was been a lovely day, temp went up to 17*C so nice I did not want to stay in the house.  After the morning household chores were done, I was outside for the afternoon, helping Hubby with the leaves, and went for a walk.  We took advantage of the nice day, as the forecast is not looking good for the next few days.  T'is November folks.

Not much else going on here today, except we plan on getting out senior flue shot after dinner. 



Wednesday, November 10, 2021

View from my living room window

 This morning we have beautiful sunshine which is melting the frost on the roof tops.   The trees are  finally starting to change colour and this is the view this morning from my living room window.   

I am in the process of purchasing new hearing aids.  The set I have at the present time are seven years old, way past their due date, so to speak.  During the past three weeks I have been having a pair on trial and had to take them back today.  To my surprise there was another pair waiting for me to try, so were fitted with them, oh! so much better than the trial ones I took back today.   The set I am currently wearing is on trial for two weeks and if they are still as comfortable and doing the job as they are today, these will be my new ones.  So much better,  they should be for the price of them.  Pricey little devils.

The blue sky you can see in the photo above as now disappeared, it's 3:30 p.m.   and more clouds are in forecast to arrive overnight.  Typical November weather.

Dinner tonight taco's and a big salad.  Have not had these for awhile, should be nice for a change.

Not much else happening today.


Tuesday, November 09, 2021

Catching up

Met up with my two friends yesterday and we had a lovely lunch in a bistro.   There were only two other tables with patrons at them so we felt very comfortable.   I had a quiche and salad, it was so good and we chatted over a drink, mine a gin and tonic.   So nice to see these two girls again as both of them have had big health issues.  J has had a kidney transplant after several years of dialysis and countless other health issues.   V has been having a bad time since August with heart related issues.   Both are doing OK at the moment.  Listening to their ill health, I thought, I am three and four years older than these two and the only health related problem that I could add to this conversation was the fall that I had a little while back.  Feeling very fortunate for my good health.  

Going to put this message on hold, need to go out for a little while be back soon.

Well, that took longer than I had anticipated, so I am just going to close and call it a day.

See you tomorrow.

Monday, November 08, 2021

Out to Lunch

Looking forward to having lunch with two friends today.  Have not seen one of them for a couple of years, so it is going to be great to catch up, I can see a long lunch break coming up today.

Yesterday was a glorious day, temp went up to 16*C beautiful blue skies and sunshine all day.   I went for a 3/4 hour walk, increasing the time a little each day, and intend to walk everyday even if it is just that length of time.  Overdoing it is not a wise thing to do at this point in time.   I did get some exercise from the bending and stretching  during the gardening season but that is all over now for a while, so hopefully the Winter will be kind and the streets won't be to icey for walking.  I will be taking my hiking poles with me, I find they help considerably.   A lot of people that walk by the house are using them, a good investment in my opinion.

Hubby picked up leaves at our neighbours property yesterday, ours are still green on the trees, so none on the estate to be picked up, except some blown from other gardens, not enough yet to worry about. 

Not much else happening today, except the repairman is coming "sometime today" to fix the drier. 

Dinner last night was OK,  some days I just don't feel like preparing a meal, and yesterday was one of those days.  Must think about today's dinner soon.

So with that, I am going to wish you all a good day.


Sunday, November 07, 2021

Did something we haven't done in years.

 Are you excited to find out what Hubby and I did?   No..not what your thinking I am sure.  Another guess, nope got it wrong again.  Third and final guess, wrong again.

This something was not because we wanted to, it was a necessity that we really did not plan on doing.   Saturday at this house is laundry day, first load done. second one washed and put in the dryer.    The bell rang as it normally does when the timer has expired and the clothes are dry.   Well, not this time.   The drum did not rotate and the load was still wet.   The repairman was called but did not call back.   So, the something I haven't done in years..............we went to the laundromat to dry the clothes.   We had to look up where the closet one was as we had no idea where any of them are.  Found it with no problem, it was a really nice one, very clean and not many people, so a plus for us.   It even had a cafe and you could purchase a beer while you waited for your clothes to wash and dry.  As we had not been in one for ages, we had to read the instructions.  LOL.  All done is 20 minutes and we were on our way home.  Now all we need is the repairman to tell us when he can fix our dryer.

 Yesterday, we woke up to a white frost, but then it became a lovely sunny day.   I went for a 1/2 hour walk, the sun was warm, little breeze so enjoyed being out even though the temp was only 12*C.   More of the same for today.   Still waiting for those leaves to fall.

We did not put our clocks back before we went to bed, so when we woke it was 7:00 a.m. DST which meant it was really 6:00 a.m. got up anyway to start our day.   Put the clocks back after breakfast, it is going to be a long time before lunch.

Dinner tonight will be a ham, brussels, broccoli and fruit for dessert.

Have wonderful Sunday not matter what your plans are.

 

Saturday, November 06, 2021

Extra Hour

Our clocks go back an hour tonight, so an extra hour of sleep.  Do not like the evenings drawing in so early tomorrow will be dark around 5:30 p.m.   Makes for a long evening.   It takes me a couple of days to get back into the new time, it is a form of jet lag I suppose.

Woke to a white frost this morning, however, the sun it rising above the tree tops and melting it and promising another lovely sunny day.  The long range forecast is for more sun for the balance of the upcoming week, with temps up to 15*C for a couple of days. I will take it, you will hear no complaints from me.

Laundry on the go, not sure what else is going to happen today, as I have nothing planned.  Must think about what is for dinner.  I do not make a weekly menu, just go with what I fancy on the day.  Do you make a weekly menu for your dinners?

Not much else to tell you about today, so will wish you a wonderful day.

Friday, November 05, 2021

The Guy

November 5th is Guy Fawkes Day, when I was living in the UK, we would get old shirts, pants, coat anything that was available, stuff it all with straw and then make a face with a hat on it.   We would place Guy in a wheelbarrow and go door to door in the village, asking for "a penny for the Guy".  Then we spend the money on fireworks.   The house we lived in at the time had a large grassy area at the back and everyone in the village would bring all of their hedge clippings and branches to make a huge bonfire.   All of the Guy's that were made were put on top of this huge pile of branches.  You must remember there are a lot of hedges in the UK so this fire was huge.  When it was dark everyone would gather around and the fire was set alight.  Fireworks were set off, not very many from what I can remember, times were tough back then.   

We would also travel to  the the village where my Grandfather lived as they would have a big parade and fireworks.  After all the festivities quieted most everyone would go to the pub to "wet their whistle"    as we were not allowed in the pub area, my sister and I would go into the dining area, sit by the fire and have crisps and an orange squash.  Funny how those little things stick in your mind but you cannot remember what you had for dinner last night.

We have a lovely sunny but cool day.  Writing to you, my friends, as I wait for my lunch to settle and then will be going for a walk.   Dusting and odds and ends done in the house this morning, so not much else left to do today, except prepare dinner.

Had my hair cut yesterday, I feel so much better.   

Received a call from a friend yesterday, she had been talking with another person who we both worked with and now all three of us have arranged a lunch date for Monday next week.   All of use to go to the theatre once a month during the Winter months, but you know what put a stop to that, so it is going to be so nice to see these "girls" again.

The snow we had a couple of days ago reminded me to make an appointment to get my Winter tires put on my car, so an appointment made for a couple of weeks from now.

The owner of the house next door had contracted Hubby to do the garden work, so that kept him busy this morning.  The estate is looking great at the present time, not a leaf in sight, on the ground, that is, but that I am sure will change in the coming days.

Well I should get my clothes changed into something warmer and head out for at least half an hour.

Thursday, November 04, 2021

Happy as a pig in s**t

 We have an answering machine connected to our telephone, as we get so many cranky calls and organizations requesting donations, this way we can choose to answer the calls or just let them go.  Yesterday the phone rang and I listened to the message.   Hubby was as happy as that pig because his parts for the lawn tractor have finally arrived.  We jumped,  that is not a very good description of how we got in the car, we don't and can't jump.  Off to get the parts, tractor repaired and he is on his merry way picking up leaves.  Nothing can beat a happy man on a piece of machinery.

Cool last night, and the sun is trying to shine this morning, no wind today which makes it feel a bit warmer.  Forecast for the next week indicates a warming trend, warming? up to 12 or 14* C  during the day.

As of the first of November I promised myself to walk every day, started off with a couple of short treks, yesterday was a half hour walk, and hope to do more today.  I made excuses during the hot weather months, so now need to get back to doing it more.

Talking to DD1 last night and she told me to keep an upcoming Sunday free and be at her house at noon.  I think she is cooking up something for my milestone birthday.  Time will tell.

I have a bag of things that need to go to the charity shop today, and making a beef stew in my slow cooker other than that not much else is pressing on the agenda.

So should  cut up the veg and get that pot going.

Have a great day.

Wednesday, November 03, 2021

White, white, white

 That was the colour clinging to the maple leaves when I opened my eyes and looked out of the bedroom window this morning.  Snow, just a dusting but snow just the same.   The sun still has some heat in it so where the rays are landing it is melting.   I believe I mentioned in an earlier post we would be picking up leaves in the snow.  That is likely what we will be doing, they are still clinging to the branches reluctant to let go.   Hubby is still waiting for the parts to arrive, so the tractor is idle again today.

I ran some errands yesterday, and going to make a hair appointment today to get a shampoo and cut.  My hair does not have a lot of body so when it starts to gets a bit longer than I like, it will not do anything I want it to, so now is the time to get it done.

We have hot water radiator heating, so we need a humidifier to keep the air moist.  We turned it on today, as our skin is feeling a bit dry.   The humidifier needs a filter, we do have one in the machine and a spare, but as we are experiencing issues with delivery of the tractor parts Hubby has gone to purchase some extra ones, just in case.  We do change them every two weeks, and soak the used on in a vinegar and water solution to rid the fins of the lime scale.

Well I should get myself moving, think about our dinner.

Have a great day.



Tuesday, November 02, 2021

Autumn is getting dressed in all her glory

While we were out getting our groceries this morning we noticed how much the leaves have changed during the past few days.   I love the colours, reds. oranges, yellows and the browns just to throw in another warm glow when the sun shines on them.   They will not be doing much glowing now, the sun has been covered with gray, ominous clouds.   Hope they don't hold that white stuff that was noted in the forecast this morning.   

As I mentioned, we got our weekly groceries this morning, I could not believe the prices of two things we put in our grocery cart. Namely, stewing beef, now as far as I am concerned this is scrap meat that cannot be used for anything else.  A small package, I would guess the meat would fill a cup and a half, cost we just a little of $10.00.  Glad you can add a lot of veggies to make at least two decent size meals.   Then there was the orange juice, a two liter carton, only a short time ago it cost $2.49, today, $3.47.   We appreciate the fact that we do not have a budget for food and do not need to count our pennies, however, I wonder how families that do have to watch what they spend, how do they cope.   A lot of them don't as the food banks are helping more and more families these days,.  I fear it will get worse during these Winter months, when Canada has to import a lot of the fruit and veg. we would normally grow here.

Yesterday, I worked on the challenge for our guilds project for 2022,  I don't make drawings, most of the time ideas come into my head just as I am going to fall asleep.   Sometimes adjustments need to be made throughout the process but normally I stick to the first idea.   

Going to do a few errands after we have had lunch, Hubby is still waiting for his part, getting very impatient so he is going to try and make the part he needs.

Dinner tonight our usual chicken and veg.  there are two portions of fruit in jelly left so that is already taken care of.

Have a great day.

Monday, November 01, 2021

Eleventh Month of 2021

Pinch punch the first of the month, did you say that when you were kids, I did.  

NOVEMBER   

Who first comes to this world below,

With drear November's fog and snow,

Should prize the topaz's amber hue,

Emblem of friends and lovers true.

Scorpio is a water sign.  These signs are artistic, emotional and perceptive.

November is the month of my birth, I do have a topaz ring, artistic? I would describe myself somewhat artistic, emotional definitely a yes.   Perceptive, again a yes.

We have some sunshine today, beautiful blue skies but it is cool.

The leaves are finally starting to change, and they appear to have done it almost overnight and with the breeze we have today, some are starting to fall.

I keep a diary every day, just jotting down what happened, what we did or didn't do etc.  A year ago we had snow and a tree fell down across the street from us, took out our power for a few hours.   Nothing like that today, however, the temps for the nights later this week, indicate they will be in the minus.

Nothing on the agenda today, leftovers for dinner, so no need to think about that.   Hubby still waiting for tractor part, he is getting very upset that it is taking so long to receive it.

We had no trick or treaters last night, not that we were expecting any as our street is very dark and no children live on the surrounding streets.

The university students must be on reading week, as the students next door appear to have gone home for the week, and very few are walking past the house to the university.  

Well, thats me for today, have a great one.



My first Halloween--for some reason this did not get published yesterday.

When I lived in the UK,  Halloween was not celebrated, my first one was here in Canada in 1954 when I was 13 years old.   Had to ask school friends what it was all about.  They told my sister B and I what we were suppose to do, get dressed in a costume and go door to door to get treats,  That first Halloween was cold damp with snowflakes in the air.   As we lived in the country we had a lot of walking to do to visit all of the houses in the area, there were not very many within walking distance down those gravel roads. Do not remember what we dressed up as, more than likely some old ratty clothes and a dime store mask, certainly not the fancy costumes in the stores today.   Back then the youth of the area would do some terrible tricks, which were more than what I would call a trick.   Hay wagons were put on roofs of barns, how they did that I do not know, hay or straw bales were set on fire at the four corner intersection in a nearby town, broken eggs were smeared on store windows.  Somewhere there was  always an outside loo tipped over.  The good old days?

Do you remember your first Halloween?

My children were always excited to choose what they were going to be dressed as when they went up and down the street.  One house they tried to avoid ,as the lady there always gave them a bag of popcorn which always spilled over on everything else in the bag they were carrying and end up being a big mess as the bottom.   The dog we had at the time was so excited too when they would come home with their treats as she always expected something, but certainly not any chocolate.  

We will not get any trick or treats here, most of the children go to the populated subdivision, so they do not need to walk very far to fill their bags full.  

Today is dull and grey with misty rain in the air and 9*C but feeling colder than that.  We might see some sunshine later this week.   

There are some subtle changes in the colour of the leaves.  Hubby was asked to take care of the leaf pickup next door, so he is out there at the present time raking under the trees.  He is still waiting for the parts for the tractor.

Dinner tonight, roast of beef, brussel sprouts, turnip, cauliflower.  Dessert fruit in jelly.  So better get at it and start doing some veg prep, 


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